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A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: "We can confirm that Alex Salmond has initiated legal proceedings against the Scottish Government and as a result we are restricted in what we can say.

"However, the SG will defend its position vigorously. As a matter of principle and integrity, it is vital that any allegations of harassment are treated seriously and investigated thoroughly, regardless of the identity of the party involved."

The allegations were passed to the police by Scottish Government officials after an internal probe.

Salmond has denied the claims.

In a statement issued last night he said: “For many months now, and on the advice of Senior Counsel, I have attempted to persuade the Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government that she is behaving unlawfully in the application of a complaints procedure, introduced by her more than three years after I left office.

"This is a procedure so unjust that even now I have not been allowed to see and therefore to properly challenge the case against me. I have not been allowed to see the evidence.

“I have tried everything, including offers of conciliation, mediation and legal arbitration to resolve these matters both properly and amicably.

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"This would have been in everybody’s interests, particularly those of the two complainants. All of these efforts have been rejected.

“The Permanent Secretary chose to deny me contact with any current civil servant, many of whom wished to give evidence on my behalf and access to documentation to allow me to properly challenge the complaints, all of which I refute and some of which were patently ridiculous.

"The procedure as put into operation by the Permanent Secretary is grossly unfair and therefore inevitably will lead to prejudicial outcomes.

“It is therefore with great reluctance that I have today launched a Judicial Review in the Court of Session which will decide the issue of the lawfulness of the procedure which has been used against me.

"If I lose then I will have to answer to the complaints both comprehensively and publicly.

"Until then I am bound to say nothing which would impinge on the Court proceedings.

"In our submissions on Judicial Review we have asked that the complainants’ identity be protected.